Religious Education at Woodcroft
At Woodcroft we believe that our RE curriculum should reflect the rich and diverse community here in Barnet, in London, across the UK and across the world. Our RE curriculum provides a rich heritage enabling our students to learn from each other, and from the religious and ethical experiences of Barnet’s people.Â
We study six world religions: Christianity, Sikhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism, and we conduct in-depth studies into the beliefs, practices, ethics and social action of Christianity and Islam. Christianity is taught each year in both key stages in line with the Barnet Agreed Syllabus for RE. Â
Throughout their time with us at Woodcroft, pupils will have the opportunity to examine the claims made by religion, to enjoy and understand the powerful stories behind religions, to gain an understanding of the diverse range of religious practices that takes place here in our city and to begin to see how religious beliefs influence social justice, community action and personal choices. For example: How do Islamic teachings about creation influence Muslims to tackle climate change? How does a Christian army chaplain balance the teachings of the Gospel in a war zone? What is the difference between a Roman Catholic church service and a Pentecostal church service? What are some of the incredible stories found in the Qur’an, the Hadith, the Gospels and the Old Testament? What are the stories behind the Hindu deities or the Sikh Khalsa or the Jewish festival of Hanukkah?
As well as examining the theological, historical and sociological elements of religion we have a focus on the visual culture behind world faiths. What can we learn from Islamic art and architecture about Allah? What do paintings in the National Gallery tell us about the important figures in Christianity? Why does colour feature so heavily in Hindu festivals? What does the architecture of a church, synagogue, mosque, gurdwara or temple tell us about the practices that go on inside?
In Key Stage 1 we introduce children to the basics of Christianity and Islam and encourage them to think about what it means for someone to believe in a God and how someone might be influenced by their religious beliefs. We have a big focus on storytelling with topics looking in-depth at the stories behind Easter, Christmas and key figures from the Old Testament. The children learn about the life of the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (pbuh), and why his life is so important to Muslims.
In Key Stage 2 we build on those foundations to explore some of the ethical issues around religion including religious responses to climate change, war, wealth and poverty. We look at the art and culture around religions, the architecture and art history as well as taking a deeper dive into the diversity and meaning at the heart of religious practices. In each year we take a term to introduce students to a new religion: Judaism in Year 3, Sikhism in Year 4, Hinduism in Year 5 and Buddhism in Year 6. The aim of our RE curriculum is to make a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding by providing a balance of teaching between knowledge of religious beliefs and the values and exploration of human experiences.
Barnet SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education)
SACRE is a statutory part of local government and its main function is to advise the local authority on matters related to RE and collective worship in schools. Every local authority must have a SACRE. The Agreed Syllabus that it provides is available on the new SACRE page on the Barnet Working With Children site. On this webpage you can also find a variety of information regarding what SACRE is and what they do, including current membership, places of worship, details of meetings, and newsletters.
Other useful documents
A Curriculum Framework for RE
Barnet Draft Agreed Syllabus for RE
Visit a curriculum subject page by clicking the link listed below:
English  Mathematics  Science  Computing  Physical Education  Music  History  Geography  Spanish  Design and Technology  Art and Design  Religious Education